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The Eq Edge

Emotional intelligence (EQ), a set of fifteen learnable skills, is a far greater predictor of life and work success than cognitive intelligence (IQ), and this book provides a practical guide to assessing and improving it.

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What it’s about

The EQ Edge argues that emotional intelligence (EQ) is a far better predictor of success in work and life than traditional cognitive intelligence (IQ). Drs. Stein and Book present the scientifically-validated BarOn model of EQ, comprising fifteen distinct, measurable skills across five realms: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Adaptability, Stress Management, and General Mood. Drawing on extensive research with over 42,000 people, the authors provide clear definitions, real-life anecdotes, and evidence linking each skill to superior performance in various professions. Unlike IQ, which is largely fixed, EQ can be enhanced at any age. The book offers practical, step-by-step exercises to help readers assess and develop their own emotional skills, ultimately giving them a tangible edge in achieving their personal and professional goals.

The through-line

Who it’s for: An ambitious and intelligent individual—a professional, leader, parent, or student—who wants to achieve greater success and fulfillment. They sense that their intellectual abilities aren't the whole story and that some intangible quality is holding them back or could propel them forward.
The problem: The reader struggles to navigate interpersonal challenges, manage stress effectively, or consistently perform at their peak, causing them to miss opportunities, experience friction in relationships, or feel unfulfilled despite their efforts. They feel frustrated, anxious, or stuck, wondering why others with seemingly fewer intellectual gifts succeed more easily. They feel misunderstood or ineffective, unable to translate their potential into consistent, tangible success.
The plan: Learn the 15 specific, measurable components of emotional intelligence.
Use the self-assessment exercises in each chapter to identify your personal EQ strengths and weaknesses.
Apply the book's practical, step-by-step techniques to actively improve your targeted EQ skills.
The payoff: The reader becomes more self-aware, assertive, and empathetic, enabling them to navigate complex social situations with ease. · They manage stress effectively, solve problems creatively, and build strong, mutually beneficial relationships at work and at home. · By unlocking their full potential, they achieve the personal and professional success they've always desired and live a happier, more fulfilled life.

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Additional reading

The Nicomachean Ethics · Aristotle
It provides the philosophical challenge that frames the entire book: the quest to manage our emotional life with intelligence.
Frames of Mind · Howard Gardner
The book's theory of multiple intelligences, particularly the 'personal intelligences,' is cited as a key precursor to the concept of emotional intelligence.
Civilization and Its Discontents · Sigmund Freud
Referenced to illustrate the historical and societal need to enforce rules from without to subdue and domesticate our inner emotional excesses.
Learned Optimism · Martin Seligman
The research on optimism and pessimism as explanatory styles is central to the chapter on motivation, showing how a positive outlook contributes to success.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience · Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The concept of 'flow' is presented as the ultimate state of harnessing emotions in the service of performance and learning, representing emotional intelligence at its best.
Bowling Alone · Robert Putnam
Cited as an acclaimed analysis of the fraying American social fabric and the decline in 'social capital,' providing a societal context for the book's concerns about social corrosion.
I and Thou · Martin Buber
The book heavily uses Buber's philosophical distinction between 'I-You' (authentic connection) and 'I-It' (objectification) as a central framework for understanding the quality of relationships.
The Prince · Niccolò Machiavelli
Provides the historical and philosophical basis for understanding the 'Machiavellian' personality type, one of the 'Dark Triad' of socially malevolent characters discussed in the book.
A Secure Base · John Bowlby
Bowlby's foundational work on attachment theory is central to the book's discussion of how early parent-child relationships create a 'secure base' that shapes a person's relational style for life.
The Roots of Evil · Ervin Staub
This book, by a psychologist who designed reconciliation programs in Rwanda, is cited to explain the psychological forces that lead to genocide and the 'Us vs. Them' mentality.